Tool-less access cover and EMI tight access door

• US 6,816,391 B2
• Filed: 11/01/2001
• Issued: 11/09/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gateway Incorporated (Acer, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rocha, Armando, Castillo, Cesar Daniel, Gibson, Richard A., Carson, Thomas H., Davis, David R., Erickson, Vernon D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Martin, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Phan, Thanh S.
• Application Number:
  US10/040,340
• Publication Number:
  US 20030081399A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,104 Days
• Field of Search: 361/63, 361/724-727, 361/800, 361/801, 361/816, 361/818, 361/752-754, 361/759, 361/679, 361/683, 312/223--22, 403/24, 403/409.1
• US Class Current: 361/818
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/181 Enclosures for portable computers G06F1/1613
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 1/182 with special features, e.g. for use in industrial environments; grounding or shielding against radio frequency interference [RFI] or electromagnetical interference [EMI]

Abstract

An information handling system case is disclosed which has a chassis suitable for containing an electronic component, an access door removably mounted to the chassis, the access door suitable for permitting access to an electronic component contained in the computer chassis, and a release mechanism adjacent to the access door, wherein the release mechanism is manually operable by a single hand of a user to release the access door from the chassis, the access door separating from the chassis upon manipulation of the release mechanism by the user. The quick release mechanism is preferably a squeezable handle. EMI shielding is accomplished through EMI clips.

Claims

1. A computer case, comprising:

an access panel door, the access panel door comprising

a support body which extends so as to cover an opening in a computer chassis, has a perimeter, and has four sides; and

flanges spaced inward from the perimeter and extending from a major surface of the support body; and

a chassis with an opening on one side for mounting the access panel door, the chassis having a handle with a stationary part and a movable part in which the access panel door is opened when the stationary part and the movable part of the handle are squeezed together, the chassis having EMI clips surrounding the opening, the EMI clips retentively receiving the flanges of the access panel door,

wherein each flange substantially extends along length of its corresponding side and each of the sides of the support body has only one flange,

wherein one side of the access panel door has latches for engaging an engaging member of a locking mechanism in the computer chassis, the latches being located outside the area bound by the flanges,

wherein hinging elements are formed on the access door on the side of the access panel door opposite to the side which has the latches and wherein the latches are spread out to give a wider holding area so that the computer case may be lifted by a vacuum lift attachable to the access panel door,

wherein a tab projects at the perimeter of the side of the access panel door that has latches, the tab having at least one perforation to provide for further securing the access panel door to the computer chassis.

2. The computer case of claim 1, wherein the computer chassis further comprises slots for accepting the hinging elements of the access panel door.

3. The computer case of claim 2, further comprising a rim formed inward around the opening of the chassis of the computer case.

4. The computer case of claim 3, wherein the EMI clips are retentively held by the rim along the edges of the opening.

5. The computer case of claim 4, wherein the EMI clips are generally U-shaped.

6. The computer case of claim 5, wherein there are four EMI clips per chassis.

7. The computer case of claim 5, wherein there are eight EMI clips per chassis.

8. The computer case of claim 5, wherein a backup thumb screw is used to further attach the access panel door to the computer case.

9. The computer case of claim 1, wherein the EMI clips occupy substantially all of a perimeter around the opening.

10. The computer case of claim 1, wherein at least one of the EMI clips is proximate to the engaging member and the engaging member is proximate to the handle.

11. The computer case of claim 10, wherein the engaging member has two notches to retain the latches.

12. The computer case of claim 1, wherein the engaging member is formed of a self lubricating material.

13. The computer case of claim 1, wherein the handle is contoured.

14. A method for accessing the inside of a computer case having an access panel door and a chassis, comprising the step of:

opening the access panel door in a latched state by squeezing a handle, wherein the access panel door opens slightly when the handle is squeezed; and

removing the panel door from the computer chassis by a pulling action on the opened access panel door, the pulling action includes removing hinging members that are part of the access panel door from the retentive elements in the computer chassis, wherein the hinging members are pairs of hooks, each pair of hooks corresponding to one retentive element of the computer chassis and the squeezing the handle involves moving a movable portion of a handle toward a stationary portion of the handle and wherein the handle is part of the computer chassis and not part of the access panel door.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the access panel door is opened and removed by a single hand.

16. An information handling system case, comprising:

a chassis suitable for containing an electronic component;

an access door removably mounted to the chassis, the access door suitable for permitting access to an electronic component contained in the computer chassis; and

a release mechanism adjacent to the access door, wherein the release mechanism is manually operable by a single hand of a user to release the access door from the chassis, the access door separating from the chassis upon manipulation of the release mechanism by the user, the chassis including a U-shaped clip, the access door including a flange made of a conductive material, wherein the conductive flange engages the U-shaped clip when the access door is installed on the chassis, the access door has hinging pins that fit within slots on the chassis so as to provide the access door rotational movement about an axis defined by the mating of the hinging pins and the slots, the chassis including a single handedly operational squeezable handle that causes engagement of a locking mechanism of the chassis with a latch of the access door, wherein the access door is further secured to the chassis by means of a back up screw attachment, wherein a tab is secured to an outer edge of the access door, wherein the tab is mounted on a side of the chassis that has the release mechanism, the tab being secured to the chassis through a thumb screw.

17. A computer case, comprising:

a computer chassis with an opening on one side;

an access panel door which covers the opening and attaches to the computer chassis; and

means for removing the access panel door from the computer chassis using a single hand of a user, wherein the means for removing includes a handle with a stationary part and a movable part in which the access panel door is opened when the stationary part and the movable part of the handle are squeezed together, the movable part moving toward the stationary part when squeezed together.